Old-school tacos have a big place in our hearts. Hard shell tacos, warmed in the oven until fragrant and crispy, ground beef well seasoned with a simple homemade taco blend and all of the toppings your hearts desire. If you have all of the ingredients on hand, you can have these on the table in half an hour!

We love our pulled pork tacos, our fish tacos, our soft tortilla tacos…but we always come back to the classic hard shell ground beef taco. It’s our family’s comfort food and the most requested dinner of all time. My son Jack has never chosen anything over tacos on a birthday or homecoming from camp or college, and I think that’s probably a lifelong commitment.

The spice blend can be doubled or tripled, and stored in a clean jar, so you always have some on hand! I make a triple batch and keep it in a labeled jar, scooping out 1 heaping tablespoon of the taco blend for every pound of meat I am cooking.

Serve these old-school hard shell tacos with Romaine Salad with Queso Fresco or Cucumber Salad. Some black beans and rice on the side would also be amazing. And think about making your own salsa, like Pico de Gallo or Salsa Ranchera if you have extra time.

Ground Beef Tacos: Old school crispy hard shell tacos filled with seasoned ground beef, and all of the toppings your heart desires. 

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Homemade Taco Seasoning

Making your own homemade taco seasoning for ground beef is so easy and takes less than 5 minutes. Plus, you can make it in bigger batches, and just scoop it out as you need it, thinking about 1 generous tablespoon per pound of meat.

My taco seasoning blend contains onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, cornstarch, optional red pepper flakes or cayenne, salt, and pepper. Definitely feel free to play around with the proportions and add more cayenne or red pepper flakes if you want spicier tacos.

Ground Beef Taco Ingredients

For the Taco Seasoning:

• Onion and garlic powder – The oniony base.
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• Chili powder – A mix of taco-friendly seasonings; pick your favorite blend.
• Cornstarch – Helps the seasonings thicken into a light sauce when heated with the cooked ground beef.
• Ground cumin – Adds a smoky flavor.
• Dried oregano – A classic Mexican herb — try to find Mexican oregano if you’re into Mexican cooking!
• Sweet paprika – Adds color and a hint of sweet smokiness.
• Cayenne or red pepper flakes – Optional, but just a pinch of either adds a welcome bit of heat to the spice blend.

For the Tacos:

• Ground beef – Use any ground beef you like — 90/10, 80/20, 85/15% — they will all work.
• Taco shells – Hard shells, baby!
• Toppings – Choose your family’s favorites. Popular options include shredded lettuce, salsa or taco sauce, shredded cheese, sour cream, and diced tomatoes and avocados.

How to Make Ground Beef Tacos

1. Make the taco seasoning: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl or plastic container, mix together the spices and seasonings for the taco blend.
2. Cook the beef: Brown the beef in a large skillet. Transfer it to a colander and drain off any liquid.

3. Add the spice mixture: Return the beef to the pan over medium-high heat and add the spice mixture. Stir for a minute or two until you can smell all of the spices. Add 3/4 cup of water, and stir until the water is mostly evaporated, the meat is evenly coated with the spices, and there is still a little bit of saucy liquid in the pan.

4. Warm the taco shells: Meanwhile, heat the taco shells on a baking sheet (or right on the rack, whichever you prefer) in the oven for 5 minutes until warm and toasty. Place any desired toppings into small individual bowls.
5. Serve: Transfer the meat to a serving bowl, place the shells on a plate covered with a napkin or clean dishtowel to keep them warm, and set out with the bowls of toppings. Let everyone serve themselves. 

What to Serve With Ground Beef Tacos

Kale Crunch Salad

Cherry Tomato Salad

Mixed Lettuce Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

More Taco Recipes

• Shrimp Tacos
• Shredded Chicken Tacos
• Flaky Fish Tacos with Vegetable Slaw
• Alaska Rockfish Tacos
• Grilled Pork Tacos with Salsa Ranchera